Chapter 2—Xavier

XAVIER LAY MOTIONLESS on the conversion platform, his newly integrated cybernetic components humming with energy. The sterile white room buzzed with activity as Dr. Vex and her team made final adjustments to his systems. Xavier's organic eye remained closed while his cybernetic orb glowed a vibrant green during his instinctive scan of the room as he processed data at an inhuman speed.

"Initiating final calibration sequence," said Dr. Vex, tapping a holographic interface. "Xavier, can you hear me?"

"Affirmative," said Xavier, his voice now carrying a metallic undertone. He focused on the strange sensations coursing through his body—the constant flow of information, the heightened awareness of his surroundings, and the raw power thrumming beneath his skin. He certainly no longer felt entirely human, and he was annoyed to find chunks of his memory missing. It was a known side effect, and he hoped it would be only temporary. For about forty percent of those undergoing cyber-conversion, the memory loss was permanent.

"Excellent. We'll begin by testing your motor functions. Please attempt to sit up slowly."

He complied, his massive frame rising with unnatural smoothness. He marveled at the lack of strain or discomfort, which was so different from the broken body he'd inhabited mere days ago. As he reached a seated position, he flexed his cybernetic arm, watching the intricate machinery whir and adjust beneath the surface.

Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirrored surface of a table of instruments nearby, he was both pleased and disquieted to see the green lines of power flowing through circuitry now intertwined throughout his face and body. Wires connected the base of his brain to his spinal cord, which allowed his formerly paralyzed body to move again. He looked like a cyborg, but he retained the same dark brown skin, one brown organic eye, and bald head. He was himself but enhanced, which was the point.

"How do you feel?" asked Dr. Vex, gaze fixed on a readout of his vital signs.

Xavier paused, struggling to put the conflicting sensations into words. "Functional but...different."

Dr. Vex nodded, her expression revealing sympathy and scientific curiosity. "That's to be expected. Your neural pathways are still adapting to the cybernetic interface. It'll take time for your organic and synthetic components to fully integrate."

He scowled as he processed her words. He had known the conversion would change him, but the reality of his transformation was more profound than he had anticipated. Was he still the same warrior who had fought countless battles across the galaxy? Or had he become something else entirely? "My memory is full of holes."

She nodded. "Let me guess...it affects your long-term memories more than recent ones?"

He nodded, straining to remember his previous life before the cyber-conversion but finding only bits and pieces. His head ached when he tried to force it.

"That's to be expected. It happens about eighty percent of the time. Many cyborgs regain their memories within two to three days."

"If I don't?"

She gave him a small smile tinged with melancholy. "If they aren't restored when your circuits and neurons fully integrate, the vast majority have probably been destroyed in the meshing process."

He nodded, recalling having been warned about that before he was offered the chance to become cybernetic. He didn't remember much about his past, but he recalled being certain it was better to risk his memory to become a functioning cyborg than a paralyzed human soldier of no use to anyone.

"Your combat subroutines are showing excellent responsiveness," she said, seeming oblivious to Xavier's internal struggle. "Let's test your reflexes. I'm going to activate a series of holo-targets. Please neutralize them as quickly as possible."

Before he could respond, a dozen glowing red spheres materialized around the room. Without conscious thought, his arm transformed into a plasma cannon. In a blur of motion, he obliterated each target with pinpoint accuracy. The entire sequence lasted less than two seconds.

Dr. Vex's eyes widened. "Impressive. Your reaction time has improved by three hundred percent compared to your baseline before conversion."

Xavier stared at his arm as it morphed back into its default configuration. The raw power at his disposal was intoxicating, yet it filled him with an unsettling sense of detachment. He had always prided himself on his skill and discipline as a warrior. Now, it seemed his prowess was more a product of programming than personal ability.

"Is something wrong?" asked Dr. Vex, noting his prolonged silence.

Xavier looked at her. "I'm...uncertain. This body responds with perfect efficiency, yet it feels foreign. Am I still myself, or merely a machine approximating my former identity?"

Her expression softened. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a deafening explosion rocked the facility. Alarms blared as emergency lights bathed the room in a pulsing red glow.

"What's happening?" he demanded, instantly alert. His combat subroutines activated, flooding his system with tactical data and threat assessments. At that second, he felt every bit the warrior he'd always been.

Dr. Vex rushed to a nearby console, fingers moving over the interface. "There's been a critical malfunction in Lab Seven. The quantum stabilizer has gone critical—we need to evacuate immediately."

As if on cue, panicked shouts reverberated from the corridor outside. The sound of running footsteps and slamming doors filled the air as staff members fled the danger zone.

Xavier rose from the platform, his massive frame towering over Dr. Vex. "What are the evacuation protocols?"

"We need to get to the emergency shelters on the lower levels, but first, I have to secure the data from your conversion process. It's too valuable to lose."

He scanned the room with his cybernetic eye, identifying potential threats and escape routes. "Negative. Your safety takes priority. We must leave now."

Dr. Vex shook her head stubbornly. "You don't understand. This research could revolutionize cybernetic integration. It could save countless lives. Every bit of data is crucial."

As they argued, the facility shuddered again. The lights flickered ominously, and acrid smoke began to seep through the ventilation system.

His tactical systems calculated their dwindling window of escape. He faced a difficult choice—follow his programming and ensure Dr. Vex's safety or respect her wishes and risk both their lives for the sake of scientific progress.

In that moment of indecision, Xavier realized that despite his cybernetic enhancements, he was still capable of making uniquely human judgments. The realization brought a small measure of comfort in the middle of the chaos.

He could feel his cybernetic eye whirring as he processed the situation while his organic parts and mechanical enhancements working in tandem. It was strange but already less noticeable than it had been even moments before.

The facility shuddered again, and he made his decision. "We must evacuate now," he said, his deep voice cutting through the chaos. "I'll secure your data while we move."

Before she could protest, he scooped her up with one arm, cradling her against his massive chest. With his free hand, he grabbed the main data core from the console, yanking it free in a shower of sparks.

As they exited the lab, alarms blared, and emergency lights bathed the corridor in an eerie red glow. His newly enhanced senses picked up the acrid smell of smoke and the distant sound of panicked voices like it was right in front of him.

"The quantum stabilizer." Dr. Vex gasped, clinging to him. "If it goes critical, it could tear a hole in the fabric of space-time."

Xavier's tactical systems calculated their options as he sprinted down the corridor. "What is the containment protocol?"

"We need to reach the main control room," she said, sounding strained. "From there, we can initiate an emergency shutdown sequence."

As they rounded a corner, he detected a figure running toward them from the opposite direction. His combat subroutines activated, identifying potential threats and escape routes. The figure came into better view—a young woman with short dark hair and a determined expression. She skidded to a stop, her eyes widening at the sight of Xavier.

"Who are you?" she asked with a slight stammer as her gaze darted between Xavier and Dr. Vex. "Why are you carrying Dr. Vex?"

"I'm Xavier, newly converted cyborg warrior," he said. "We need to reach the main control room immediately."

The woman's pupils narrowed, and she took a step forward. "I'm Amaya Kaffey, cybertech specialist," she said to him before looking at the doctor. "What's happening?"

Dr. Vex squirmed in Xavier's grasp, and he gently set her down. "The quantum stabilizer in Lab Seven has gone critical," she said quickly. "We need to initiate the emergency shutdown sequence before it tears a hole in reality."

Amaya's expression shifted from suspicion to determination. "I can help. I've been working on the stabilizer's neural interface. Follow me."

Without waiting for a response, Amaya turned and sprinted down an adjacent corridor. Xavier and Dr. Vex exchanged a quick glance before following.

As they ran, his enhanced senses picked up every detail of their surroundings. The subtle vibrations in the floor, the fluctuations in the emergency lighting, and the increasing temperature all pointed to a rapidly deteriorating situation. "How long do we have?" he asked, his voice steady despite the urgency.

Amaya glanced back, her expression grim. "Based on the energy readings I saw before the alarms went off, maybe ten minutes before total containment failure."

They reached a sealed door, and Amaya pressed her palm against a biometric scanner. The door hissed open, revealing a narrow maintenance shaft.

"This will take us directly to the control room," she said, already climbing into the cramped space. "It's a snug fit, but it's faster than navigating the main corridors."

Dr. Vex followed without hesitation, but Xavier paused, his massive frame ill-suited for the confined space. His tactical systems ran probability calculations, weighing the risks of separation against the time saved.

"I'll meet you there. My size would only slow you down in there."

Amaya nodded, her expression revealing both relief and concern. "Take the next left, then two rights. The control room is at the end of that corridor. Hurry."

As the maintenance shaft sealed behind them, he turned and sprinted down the hallway. His cybernetic legs propelled him forward at inhuman speed, covering ground faster than any organic being could manage. Even in the midst of the chaos, it was exhilarating to perform well beyond his best previous limits.

He followed the technicians directions, the warrior in him exhilarated by the challenge, but a part of him—the part that was still firmly rooted in what he could remember from his organic past—had a flicker of fear. Not for himself, but for the others in the facility. For Dr. Vex and Amaya, who had willingly put themselves in danger to save others.

As he approached the control room, his audio receptors picked up the sound of a struggle. He burst through the door to find three security officers engaged in combat with a group of unknown assailants.

Without hesitation, he leapt into the fray. His cybernetic arm transformed into the plasma cannon, and he fired a warning shot over the attackers' heads.

"Stand down," he commanded, his voice amplified by his internal systems. "This facility is about to be destroyed. We must evacuate immediately."

The attackers hesitated, clearly caught off-guard by Xavier's imposing presence. In that moment of distraction, the security officers managed to subdue them.

"Who are they?" asked Xavier of the lead officer, scanning the captured intruders with his cybernetic eye.

"Industrial spies," said the officer, securing the last of the attackers. "They've been trying to steal our research for months. Looks like they took advantage of the chaos to make their move."

Before Xavier could respond, the maintenance shaft entrance slid open, and Amaya emerged, followed closely by Dr. Vex. Both women looked disheveled but determined.

"We need to get to the main console," said Amaya, her eyes widening at the scene before her. "What happened here?"

"No time to explain," said Xavier, gesturing toward the central control panel. "We have more pressing concerns."

Dr. Vex rushed to the console, tapping the holographic interface. "The quantum stabilizer's containment field is at twelve percent and falling," she said, her voice hoarse with tension. "We need to initiate the shutdown sequence now."

Amaya joined her at the console, her expertise evident in the way she navigated the complex systems. "I'm rerouting emergency power to the containment field. It should buy us a few more seconds."

Xavier stood guard, his enhanced senses ready for any further threats. As he watched the two women work, he admired their efficiency and courage. In his previous life as a pure organic warrior, he might have dismissed their efforts as futile in the face of such danger, but now, integrated with advanced technology himself, he recognized the power of their knowledge and skill.

"Shutdown sequence initiated," said Dr. Vex with a note of relief. "Containment field is stabilizing at eighteen percent."

For a moment, the room was silent save for the hum of machinery and the ragged breathing of its occupants. Then, slowly, the emergency lights faded, replaced by the normal illumination of the control room.

"We did it," said Amaya. She turned to Xavier, clearly awed and curious. "I've never seen a cyborg like you before. Are you a new prototype?"

He hesitated, unsure how to respond. His conversion was still so recent, and he was still grappling with his new identity. "I am...unique," he finally said. "My conversion was completed mere hours ago."

Amaya's eyes lit up with interest. "Fascinating. I'd love to run some diagnostics on your systems. The integration of organic and synthetic components at that level could revolutionize our understanding of cyborg physiology."

Before Xavier could respond, Dr. Vex intervened. "I think we've all had enough excitement for one day," she said firmly. "Xavier needs time to adjust to his new form before we subject him to any further tests." She shook her head, but her tone was gentle. "There's a reason we retrieve data from their processing cores after integration and don't subject them to interference and monitoring. It's a delicate process that requires his focus, energy, and strength."

Amaya looked chastened but nodded in agreement. "Of course, you're right. I got carried away. It's just...well, I've never seen anyone like him before." She eyed him in a way that seemed to be prompted by more than scientific curiosity. "It's clear he...you were a fine specimen of humanity before the conversion, Xavier."

Xavier found himself intrigued by Amaya's enthusiasm, despite his lingering uncertainties about his new form, and his face heated as he battled an inexplicable blush. There was something refreshing about her straightforward curiosity, unmarred by the fear or suspicion he had expected to face as a cyborg. "Perhaps," he said carefully, "Once things have settled, we could discuss my conversion process. Your expertise might be valuable in helping me understand these changes."

She was practically glowing as she beamed at him, and for a moment, he had a strange flutter in his organic components—a sensation he couldn't quite categorize. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't locate a memory to help him identify what it was.

"I'd like that," she said. "Maybe you could tell me about your experiences as a warrior pre cyber-conversion. I've always been fascinated by combat tactics, even if I'm more comfortable with circuitry than weapons."

He frowned. "I currently have large gaps in my memory. I recall tactics and battle strategies but not necessarily personal memories of being in battle."

She looked sympathetic. "I've heard that happens a lot. Perhaps everything will return in a few days."

"I can only hope."

"You retain you knowledge of battle because it's implanted into your cybernetic cortex," said Dr. Vex. "All data and knowledge you'll need as a cyborg is automatically integrated into your processors."

He nodded, still wishing to recall personal memories for himself.

As they began to discuss the cleanup and investigation that would need to follow this incident, Xavier found himself watching Amaya with growing interest. He was drawn to her and not just because of her inquisitive nature and bright mind. Something intangible about her was mesmerizing in a way he couldn't fully understand or articulate without all his memories. He'd probably experienced something similar before, but without being able to recall that, it was like stumbling around in the dark.